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The purpose of this study was to examine Addis Ababa city schools mathematics teachers responses on the paper folding activities and perception on implementing paper folding in teaching mathematics. Exploratory survey design and quantitative and qualitative research methods were used. 75 mathematics teachers were selected by cluster and simple random sampling. Training manual activities and questionnaire were used for data collection, and analysed using mean, standard deviation, independent samples t-test and qualitative analysis. Some of the findings were the primary school teachers have better perceptions than the secondary school teachers and male teachers have better perceptions than female teachers in the importance of applying paper folding in teaching mathematics than female teachers. The primary and secondary school teachers and male and female teachers have almost similar challenges in implementing paper folding in teaching mathematics. In addition, some of the teachers challenged in drawing of perfect figures, cutting or folding the papers to get the properties of mathematical expressions. Therefore, some of the recommendations were training on paper folding should be given at the beginning of the year for mathematics teachers; paper folding is included in the design of the curriculum; and necessary materials should be provided.

The paper deals with the evaluation of the mechanical properties of the crepe paper and chickpaper. The thickness of crepe paper was 300 m with the surface mass 150 g*m-2 and chickpaper paper thickness was 100 m with the surface mass 40 g*m-2. Crepe paper and chickpaper are usually used for chicken breeding. Longitudinal and transversal tensile properties were studied. The tensile behavior was monitored on the motorized test stand ANDILOG STENTOR 1000 (Andilog Technologies, Vitrolles, France).There were measured the tensile properties as modulus of elasticity, maximal elongation, maximal tensile force, tensile strengths, tensile index and strain at break of the longitudinal and transversal samples by testing paper strips. Mean values of the maximal elongation b of longitudinal chickpaper samples were three times smaller than maximal elongation of transversal samples. Mean values of maximal tensile force Ft, tensile strength btensile indexwand maximal strain at break T of longitudinal chickpaper samples were two times smaller than maximal quantities of transversal samples. Mean values of the tensile modulus of elasticity of longitudinal and transversal chickpaper samples were almost equal. Chickpaper mechanical properties in tension were different in the longitudinal and transversal direction of the original paper surface. Mean values of the maximal elongation b and maximal strain at break T of longitudinal crepe paper samples were sixty times smaller than maximal elongation and maximal strain at break of transversal samples. Mean values of maximal tensile force Ft, tensile strength bandtensile indexwof longitudinal crepe paper samples were fourth times smaller than maximal quantities of transversal samples. Mean values of the tensile modulus of elasticity of longitudinal samples of crepe paper were thirty eight times smaller than values of transversal samples.

In the optics of attention was the story of the Japanese writer Komatsu Sake "Paper or hair", written in 1963. According to the content, the loss of paper changed the usual way of life of people, becoming a source of existential fears. As we believe, the artistic narrative anticipates the events of our time associated with the spread of the coronavirus infection COVID-19. An artistic description of the situation by a Japanese writer, a phenomenological immersion in reality and theoretical reflections by M. Heidegger's work on the existential of fear helped to reconstruct the psychological States of people in the context of a pandemic and to identify the structure of fear. In modern life, fear manifests itself in three aspects: before-than fear, fearfulness and about-than fear. As a result of the all-embracing nature of fear, the fearogenicity of being is born, which violates the stability of the individual's existence, its being in, dwelling in, and mastering with. The above leads to the individual's awareness of the direction of life towards death, which forces him to adapt to new conditions. As a support of the personality in its opposition to fear, we can call hope and effective manifestations that perform the role of care.

An assessment is made the biological and economical chemical indicators of 11 samples Burley tobacco, which 10 new promising hydrides in first generation and standard Pliska 2002 variety. As a result, the study found that the most favorable biometric indicators is presented Hybrid 1595A. With the short vegetative period is characterized Hybrid 1594, and the longest such – standard Pliska 2002 variety. All new selection lines excel at length of the vegetative period standard Pliska 2002 variety. The highest yield is represented by Hybrid 1595A, followed by Hybrid 1593. The highest percentage of first grade is derived from Hybrid 1593А, which gives the lowest percentage of third grade. With favorable ratio of grades is formed and Hybrid 1593. All new lines superior the standard variety Pliska 2002, to as yield, so and percentage of first grade. The studied hybrids, according to their biometric indicators, are grouped into two clusters, and two main components influence the clustering of the hybrids and explain 77.17% of the total variation. Depending on their economic indicators, the hybrids are arranged in two clusters, and in them, too, two main components are the cause of 89.27% of the total variation. Complex assessment of biological and economic indicators shows that with the best parameters differs Hybrid 1593, and work with it should continue with production testing. All new lines superior the standard variety Pliska 2002, to as yield, so and percentage of first grade, which is an indicator of the success of the selection work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper continues the series of publications on the morphology of the dialect of Staroshvedskoye (Sw. Gammalsvenskby), which is the only surviving Scandinavian dialect in the territory of the former Soviet Union. The village of Staroshvedskoye is located in the Kherson region, Ukraine. Its Swedish dialect historically belongs to the group of Swedish dialects of Estonia and goes back to the dialect of the island of Dagö (Hiiumaa). The dialect of Gammalsvenskby is of interest to slavists as an example of a language island in the Slavonic environment. From around the 1950s, the main spoken language of all village residents, including dialect speakers, has been surzhik. Due to the complete lack of studies of the present-day dialect and because of the severe endangerment in which the dialect is currently situated, the most urgent task is to collect, classify, and publish the factual material. This paper introduces comprehensive material on nouns in the conservative variety of the present-day dialect. It lists all masculine nouns of types 1b, c, d, and e together with their cognates from Estonian Swedish dialects; comments on the history of the forms are given as well. The sources for the material presented here are interviews with speakers of the conservative variety of the dialect recorded by the author during fieldwork in the village from 2004 to 2013. We plan to publish nouns of other types in later articles.

The paper focuses on variants and their classification at different levels of linguistic structures. The erratic use of variants in papers on linguistics is revealed. A suggestion is put forward that the problem of erratic use of variants in the scientific functional style of the Croatian standard language should be solved.

Due to the rapid expansion of irrigated agriculture, effi cient use of the limited water resources in arid and semi-arid regions is becoming more and more vital. However, water salinity is a major problem due to its negative infl uence on the yields of many crops. It reduces citrus trees’ growth and causes physiological disorders. Primarily salt-stress lowers net CO2 assimilation, stomatal conductance, and water potential of citrus tree leaves, in addition to accumulation of excessive concentration of Chloride or Sodium in leaves. A great deal of research indicates that citrus have the genetic potential to be salt-sensitive; however inheritance studies in citrus are scarce. In this paper the adverse of effects of salinity on physiological aspects of citrus are reviewed. The review summarizes the prevailing state of knowledge about the responses and tolerance of citrus trees to salinity.

Most of the challenges facing Nigerian universities are traceable to inadequate funding. The sector often blames the government for inadequate funding of public universities while the government complains of scarce resources. The incessant closure of universities as a result of unresolved issues between labour/student unions and management, as well as the government is usually as a result of funding such as unpaid outstanding allowances and dilapidated facilities among others. This paper explored other alternatives to funding university education in Nigeria as the beneficiaries of university education were identified because every rational individual will contribute to a project because of the benefit they will get from it. The paper recommended that all beneficiaries of university education should be informed through approprite medium to contribute their quotas to the funding process. Managements of universities are also challenged to judiciously use available resources.

The study was conducted in the period 2019 - 2020 in the field of the Experimental Station for Tobacco - Rila, at the Institute of Tobacco and Tobacco Products - Markovo. Two new lines of oriental tobacco and three varieties of high quality tobacco ecotype Dupnitsa - Rila 82, Dupnitsa 160 and Rila 544 (standard) are included. Lines 505 and 506 were created as a result of inter-varietal hybridization between varieties of Dupnitsa ecotype and introduced variety of Prilep ecotype (Republic of Northern Macedonia). Biometric measurements were performed on the following indicators: plant height (cm), number of leaves, length and width of 14- leaf. Yeald (kg / da) and quality of dry tobacco were reported. А chemical analysis was performed for the most important chemical indicators - nicotine, sugars (soluble carbohydrates), total nitrogen. Mathematical evaluation of morphological and economic features was performed by analysis of variance.The data show that the lines 505 and 506 have a higher yield compared to the control and significantly exceed it in quality. A valuable source material for the selection of oriental tobacco ecotype Dupnitsa has been created. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today citizens are increasingly becoming an equal entity with state institutions which have responsibility to ensure protection of their rights, accountability, openness and transparency in its operations - as the basic principles upon which rests the principle of good governance. The traditional model of not transparent administration today disappears step by step. Adoption of a law of free access to public information in many countries in the world which seek to enhance democracy in their societies today is a process that can not stop. Nowadays, countries that do not have such a law can not claim that they have full democracy. One of the reasons for passing this law is reducing corruption. Corruption is based on secrecy. Citizens and institutions become corrupted when the public has no insight into their work. If the work of public institutions is transparent and offered for public inspection, then the chance for them to be corrupt is smaller. This paper analyzes the Law of free access to public information in the Republic of Macedonia and its application; the situation in Macedonia after the adoption of the law; concluding that despite some inconsistencies, the law has contributed to increasing transparency and reducing corruption.

There is no doubt that the emergence of ChatGPT in November 2022 has become one of the most significant technological events in recent decades. The new-generation chat platform developed by OpenAI has caused a veritable "tsunami" of interest in its underlying Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI). Business organizations in all economic areas are dramatically increasing their investments in this new technology and launching pilot projects testing its capabilities. Banks are no exception to this trend. With the vast amounts of data at their disposal and ever-increasing user demands, they are quickly realizing that Gen AI promises numerous benefits both concerning customer service and in terms of internal banking processes and operations. This paper examines the characteristics of generative artificial intelligence by comparing it with traditional AI models that have been used in banks. The main factors that make banking the perfect place for the application of the new technology are brought out. Based on this, the analysis focuses on surveying the many potential benefits of its implementation – from improving customer experiences, through better risk management, to optimizing the work of back-office employees and developers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the Institute of Agriculture - Karnobat, Bulgaria, laboratory research was conducted on 5 varieties of two-row and 5 varieties of multi-row winter barley. The aim of the research is to determine the genotypic differences in the initial growth of winter barley varieties. The varieties were studied in a laboratory experiment using the roll method. Number of indicators number of roots (number), length of roots (cm), length of the first leaf (cm) were recorded. 20 seeds of each variety were placed on filter paper in 3 replicates. The rolls are immersed in water and after 10 days the length of the first leaf, the number of roots and their length are counted. The results of the analysis show that Zahir and Alexan varieties form the largest number of roots. The Lardeya and Bozhin varieties form the smallest number of roots. The Kuber and Siela varieties have the longest root length and the first leaf. The varieties Zahir and Achinora have the smallest root length, and Lardea and Zemela have the smallest length of the first leaf. To improve the length of the first leaf, good combinations are expected when crossing the varieties Daria, Bozhin with Alexan, Achinora. Siela, Zemela, Alexan and Achinora varieties are genetically the most distant from Lardea, Kuber and Zahir in terms of length and number of roots. It is recommended to use them for crosses in order to create a better root system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last few years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has gained immense popularity for one of its abilities, namely to create images from textual prompt. This has sparked an extremely wide controversy among visual artists and their analysts, as well as the entire community. One of the most important and distinctive questions is, what is the ethical boundary that can be set in the use of this technology and what is the way it can be used in different forms of visual art? The paper discusses several different aspects of using artificial intelligence for creation of images. Thay can be categorized as positive in certain situations and negative in others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Psalter is the Bible book most used in Orthodox worship. In the Middle Ages, illustrated psalters spread, and miniatures with New Testament subjects appeared on their pages. The paper shows the direct connection between the miniatures with a New Testament character and the worship of the Orthodox Church and confirms the perception of the Psalter in the Church as a book of prophecies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bioeconomy concept uses as a starting point the natural cycles of materials and covers all sectors of the economy that produce, work and process, use and trade renewable resources such as plants, animals, microorganisms, and their derivatives. The accepted definition is that “The Bioeconomy covers the production of renewable biological resources and their conversion into food, feed, biological products and bioenergy”. It includes the sectors of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, food production and pulp and paper, as well as and parts of the chemical, biotechnological and energy industries. The purpose of the study is to assess the state of the circular Bioeconomy in the country and outline guidelines for developing its potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nozick (1977) set a challenge for Austrian economics. On the one hand, this school of thought rejects the notion of indifference, and along with it, indifference curves. On the other hand, the praxeological school accepts the concepts of supply and demand curves. But the latter supposition logically implies indifference, in that the persons for whom the supply and demand curves apply look upon all the constituent items as identical; if not, these diagrams could not be drawn. A similar account applies to diminishing marginal utility, another tool of economic analysis accepted by Austrians. But this, too, implies indifference, at least according to Nozick. Block (1980) responded critically to Nozick (1977). Hoppe (2005, 2009), a leading Austrian economist, agreed with Block that Nozick was in error, but also rejected Block’s specific refutation this eminent philosopher’s critique. Wysocki (2021) sided with Nozick and Hoppe in this debate. The present paper is an attempt to support the Blockian view vis a vis that of these three scholars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The topic of farm viability is very important and widely discussed in scientific studies. It is important not only for the farms themselves, but also for all agricultural entities. Its relevance is based on the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy 2014 – 2020, which recognizes increasing the viability of small and medium-sized farms as one of its priority objectives. Increasing the viability of farms is sought by promoting entrepreneurship among farms, creating new jobs and taking measures against the decline of the rural population, rather than increasing the size of farms. The aim of this paper is to investigate the level of economic viability of small farms in mountain areas. For the classification of individual small farms in the mountain lessfavoured areas thus defined, the variance analysis developed by P.L. Fischer (ANOVA - Analysis of Variance) was used, analysing the relationship between two random variables – dependent and independent (also called the factor). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With this text I am publishing three identical brass spikes with production stamps, from the hull of the Saint Nicholas Bay Shipwreck (SNBS). While identical, the stamps were illegible to the naked eye. By deciphering one of them, we were able to establish that they relay the name of the largest Austro-Hungarian private shipyard of the 'Long nineteenth century,' the Technical Establishment of Trieste (Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino, 1857-1929). The production stamps provided the latest terminus post quem for the formation of the archaeological site in Saint Nicholas Bay and a tangible link between the historic ship, as presented in the archaeological record, and the Austro-Hungarian coast of the Adriatic Sea. This paper summarises the archaeology of the SNBS, discusses the fastening system of its wooden hull, analyses the three artefacts and assesses their significance for the interpretation of the underwater archaeological site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current paper discusses the Late Neolithic anthropomorphic figurines with a hollow body originating from three settlements in the Struma River Valley to the north of the Kresna Gorge: Bersin, Mursalevo - Gerena locality and Kocherinovo - Ganevi Nivi locality. Only upper body fragments are preserved. Three groups are defined based on the typical features of the upper half of the body, the cavity shape and its location. The largest group has been divided to subgroups depending on the way the head and the upper torso around the breasts are shaped, as well as the transition to the abdomen and the bottom. The systematisation takes into account the fragmentary state of the objects. The first group consists of anthropomorphic figurines with elongated, almost cylindrical, flattened-cylindrical (sometimes widening at the top) or flat head. All of them have arms shaped as horizontally perforated short side knobs. The body is hollow and bell-shaped in the preserved part. This shape suggests that the lower half was a separate piece, and the two would attach to form the body. A fragmented figurine from Kocherinovo, with compactly shaped legs divided by a vertical groove, offers an example for a possible shaping of the lower part. The other two groups are represented by single examples. Late Neolithic hollow anthropomorphic figurines are discovered at sites dated to various phases of the Late Neolithic along the Struma River Valley to the north of the Kresna Gorge. Similar artefacts have been published within the catchment area of the Vardar River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper primarily aims to address aspects related to regional development in Romania, which has become a challenge both at the national and global level. The way regional development is approached is different, depending on the particularities of each country, as well as the governing ideologies in each state. However, the goal is common, one aims at shaping a competitive and strong economy, a high standard of living, access to education and medical assistance. The purpose of the paper is to compare socio-economic indicators from two time periods, to highlight similarities and differences and to observe their evolution within a 10-year timespan. The method used is Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to identify groups of statistical indicators (variables) that explain the level of development within a sample, in our case the development regions of Romania. In the context of regional development, PCA can be applied to extract relevant information about economic, social or demographic variability in different regions of the country. Several objectives of regional development analyzed through the lens of this method were pursued: identification of regional disparities, optimization of resource allocation, evaluation of the determining factors of economic development, monitoring of the impact of regional policies. Following the PCA analysis, it was observed that regional development cannot be evaluated by means of variables belonging to a single sector. This method allowed the identification of the variables that have the greatest weight describing economic, social, educational and infrastructure aspects. PCA was applied for two time periods and similar situations were obtained, the first main component called by the authors the economic statistics includes for both periods the indicators: Gross average nominal salary gain, GDP by development regions, Employees from research and development activity at the end of the year, Beds in health facilities (state and private). The second component was called social statistics and includes the indicator Employment rate in working age (15-64 years), and the third component called agricultural statistics includes the indicator Population served by the public water supply system. As a conclusion, we consider that the situations are not overlapping because there are indicators that have undergone changes during the 10 years, which is expected and normal in regional development. For example, the number of graduates decreased due to the continuously decreasing birth rate, the vacancy rate decreased in 2018-2019 compared to 2008-2009 because Romania went through the financial economic crisis.

This paper highlights the need for cyber protection and application of new technologies in cyber security in our increasingly digitalized world. It examines the development, application and potential of blockchain technology to date, as well as its nature. It presents the possible benefits and challenges of implementing blockchain applications and innovations in cybersecurity, drawn from the experiences of blockchain innovations and applications already implemented in other sectors of our lives. The work is of a review rather than analytical nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teaching methods in secondary education have undergone significant changes due to COVID-19. The paper examines the positive impact of investing in education through the Strategic Framework for the Development of Education, Training and Learning in the Republic of Bulgaria (2021-2030) and digital technologies. The aim of this paper is to identify key challenges and relevant solutions through a study of teaching methods in secondary education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines current aspects related to the growing popularity of telecommuting. The past pandemic has accelerated processes in this direction and more and more employers are taking advantage of the opportunities provided by digital technologies for remote work. There are multiple factors that influence such decisions for both business organizations and their employees. This paper examines the perspective of employees on some key factors such as productivity, stress and attitudes towards such an opportunity. Research on the topics covered is also cited in the theoretical review. The results of a study conducted to provide general insight into employee attitudes towards telecommuting opportunities and self-assessment of their perceptions of stress, productivity and motivation are described. Conclusions based on the empirical data and generalizations about telework are drawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I've often heard young students say, "Let me check on the internet," when they're unsure of an answer. It's also evident that traditional paper dictionaries are rarely used nowadays, with foreign language words being automatically translated online. While the internet provides quick access to information, the accuracy of these answers needs research on sources and may require deep reading of different materials. This raises questions about the internet's role as a learning tool and how it's shaping our learning habits. Conducted in February 2024, a survey among 35 Romanian high school students aged 15-19 serves as the basis for this paper, which seeks to delve into students' internet usage for learning, their platform preferences, and their perceptions of how internet usage affects their learning styles. In conclusion, the paper will underscore the evolving learning needs identified and suggest ways educators can adapt to maintain students' interest in learning, guiding them towards focused research topics that align with their passions and future career aspirations.

Private labels are gaining ground in almost all product categories today, especially in the food trade. In the case of food, the share and penetration of private labels has been a success story for food retailers worldwide, and in Europe their market share has been steadily increasing in recent years. Although they were initially seen as a low-cost alternative for consumers, many retailers have now recognised their potential to differentiate themselves from their competitors and increase profits. With private labels, businesses can differentiate themselves more easily from their competitors and increase their profits due to their high margin content. The present paper focuses on presenting some partial results of a broader research, with the primary aim of highlighting the role and place of private brands in consumer decisions. We conducted primary, quantitative research using survey methods. We investigated the attitudes, attitudes, and knowledge of the respondents towards private brands in comparison to manufacturer brands. We investigated the circumstances of purchase and the factors influencing the purchase decision-making process among groups with different socio-demographic characteristics. Our research results are mostly in harmony with the literature and secondary research, with no significant differences. Overall, it can be concluded that Hungarian consumers are willing to buy private brands and are familiar with them when purchasing food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper is to examine the changes in wine consumption habits in the last few years and the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic in Hungary, the changes in international wine trade regarding the online and offline sales trends. The pandemic caused a great challenge for the wine sector, since many consumption premises (restaurants, events) could not be in operation, however, with the development of the online trade a sales channel became stronger. Surveys related to wine consumption and trade in Hungary are usually ad hoc, and barely deal with online shopping. At the same time, the Great Wine Test follow the domestic wine consumption and purchasing habits by the same questionary from 2016, therefore it is suitable to track the possible changes. This study analyses the online buying tendencies based on the 2016, 2018 and 2021 data with a sample of 27993, 8552, and 1461 respectively, to compare the years before and after the pandemic. Research questions were as follows: had the wine consumption been changed in this period and was there any shift towards online wine purchasing. Results show that there are no significant changes in most of the indicators, however, the proportion of online purchasing notably increased in the years of the pandemic. It is important to note that no significant change took place in the total sales volume. Results on online buying habits show that there were similar changes in Hungary to other markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article deals with the prologue (synaxarion) Vitae of St. Nicholas in Slavonic Cyrillic literature from the 13th to the 17th century. These texts function within the hymnographic composition practice and can be found in two types of liturgical books - the Prologue and the Menaion. They are usually extracts from extensive narratives, which is why this paper also looks at texts from two other types of medieval books (the Panegyric and the Reading Menaion) that contain The Acts of St. Nicholas, The Miracles of St. Nicholas and the so-called „Another" Vita - St. Nicholas of Sion Vita. These texts also functioned as synaxarion vitae. The Vita of St. Nicholas in the Simple Prologue is the shortest and earliest version of a hagiographic narrative about the saint translated in Bulgaria during the First Bulgarian Empire, and it is very rarely found in the hymnographic composition of the Menaion. St. Nicholas' Vita in the Turnovo translation of the Verse Prologue is the most popular and common after the sixth song of the canon in the hymnographic composition practice. That Vita is a more extensive version of the Acts of St. Nicholas, based on the Metaphrastian Vita, preceded by a verse and an added miracle of St. Nicholas. The article mentions two interesting cases in Serbian menaia of the 15th century, which present different traditions to place the synaxarion texts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solemn entry of the Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem is described by the four evangelists. With the Lord's entrance into Jerusalem, the road to His suffering begins. The worship glorifies Christ as God and King - Victor and Saviour, but it also mentions the coming Passover and voluntary suffering. The feast, located after the Great Lent and preceding Holy Week and Pascha, has a distinctly eschatological character. Three Old Testament readings (paroemias) are read on the eve of Palm Sunday: Gen. 49:1-2, 8-12, Zeph. 3:14-19, and Zech. 9:9-15. The paper presents an interpretation of the pericopes through the writings of the Holy Fathers and the hymnography of the Orthodox Church. The theme of the humility of the King is a kind of "gateway" to the next Holy Week, when the Creator of heaven and earth will suffer and die at the hands of His creatures in order to conquer death and exalt the nature of Adam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article assesses the development of retail e-commerce under the influence of global digitalization processes. The authors prove that current trends in the global economy reflect key aspects of the development of the digital economy and, accordingly, retail e-commerce. Under their influence, significant changes are taking place in the living conditions of society, market conditions and in the scientific sphere, and there is an increasing demand for highly qualified workers. The paper emphasizes that under the influence of profound and extensive changes brought about by digital technologies, conceptual models of business development and social communication are transforming, and the role of the state in the new digitalized environment is being reconsidered. These transformations require participants to be highly adaptable, develop new skills and competencies, and be ready to take advantage of digital transformation. The paper emphasizes that there are potential risks of negative impact of digital transformation, which are manifested primarily in the need to adapt to new conditions, such as the inevitability of displacement of outdated professions by new technologies or artificial intelligence systems, the disappearance of traditional markets, as well as the threats of personal data leakage and the need to protect copyrights and other aspects. The authors prove that e-commerce encompasses more than just online advertising or launching a virtual retail store. Successful enterprises in this area are based on reliable technologies of interaction with consumers, which arise from the experience gained in the early stages, sound business schemes and a carefully developed infrastructure for servicing business processes. The main advantage of using digital technologies in the field of online retail is the ability to predict demand and thoroughly study consumer needs.

This paper examines the relationship between household income, financial stability and well-being under the COVID-19 conditions in Bulgaria. Based on the definition of the total and monetary household income, the paper outlines its theoretical bases, scope, structure and specific characteristics. It analyzes the dynamics of the total and monetary household income, proving that it depends directly on the global pandemic situation provoked by COVID-19. It also justifies the need to rationalize the management of household income in the short and long term to achieve the financial goals, set in the household budget, and improve household’s well-being. The object of study in this paper is household income, and the subject is defined as the highlighting of factors that affect the state, dynamics and trends in the development of the object of study in recent years in the Republic of Bulgaria. The conclusion is that the rational management of household income in the short, medium and strategic horizon is a prerequisite for the households’ financial stability and achievement of the goals set, complied with the households’ financial capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, Bulgaria has mobilized significant financial resources to overcome the consequences of the pandemic on the economy, labour market and household wellbeing. The 60/40 measure, under which employers from affected sectors can receive financial support to retain existing jobs, became a significant element of these efforts. With a budget of almost 2 billion BGN, the measure supported the retention of over 340 000 jobs. From a research point of view, however, its social impacts, including on labour market inequalities, remain insufficiently clear. This paper tries to contribute to the fulfillment of this gap by putting the results of the implementation of the 60/40 measure in the context of the problem about the labour market segmentation. Based on freely accessible data published by state institutions, the paper discusses the existence of some disbalances linked to the implementation of the 60/40 measure which could deepen the labour market inequalities and expand the segment of jobs with worsening wage adequacy. In that regard, areas of future research and possible improvements of the approach towards the study of the impacts of the measure have been identified. Moreover, the discussed problem areas shed light on some aspects regarding the role of the state and public policies in shaping the labour market segmentation in Bulgaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study presents a comparative analysis of the two modern pro-market schools in the field of monetary theory and banking – the school of free banking with fractional reserves and the school of full deposit reservation. In this way, the paper outlines the guidelines to be followed in developing theories, concepts and proposals for improving or perfecting the money supply management. In concrete terms, the analysis considers the alternatives for the implementation of banking and the positioning of the central bank in the schools of free banking with fractional reserves and the full reservation of deposits, the methodological nature of a market process in their frameworks and an interpretation of the two schools in relation to the functions of deposits, the interest rate, deflation and quantitative easing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern financial markets create a new criterion for evaluating the investment performance of companies - a multidimensional approach that combines the financial, social and environmental aspects together. A sustainable and responsible investment approach is perceived as a long-term driver of value and many institutional investors around the world, incl. pension funds, integrate it into their traditional investment process. At the same time, Bulgarian private pension funds either neglect (underestimate) the issues of sustainable development, or changе their investment policy too timidly and uncertainly. After an in-depth analysis of the sustainable and responsible investment practices imposed by the ecological leaders among the pension funds, the current research paper offers an adapted model for integrating the "green" investment trend, consistent with the organization and development of voluntary private pension funds in Bulgaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scientific and technological changes that have occurred are leading to a transformation in the operations and business processes of the agricultural industries. When using unmanned aerial vehicles in modern agricultural technologies, it is necessary to improve their functions such as search, recognition and manipulation-robotic actions. This paper examines the cost-effectiveness issues of aerial photography using unmanned aerial vehicles with low-end photographic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]